Padlock



Nov. 19, 1957 J. 1 KIELLAND 2,813,417

PADLOCK Filed Nov. 7,1956

United States Patent O PADLOCK Johan L. Kielland, Montreal West, Quebec, Canada, assignor to The Shawinigan Engineering Company LimiCted, dMontreal, Quebec, Canada, a corporation of ana a Application November 7, 1956, Serial No. 620,918

1 Claim. (Cl. `70-45) This invention relates to a padlock of the key controlled type. It is a principal object of this invention to provide a padlock which can be locked and unlocked readily under adverse weather conditions, in particular under conditions in which ice forms in and around the padlock. In geographical areas where rain or mist frequently is followed by freezing temperatures, the need for a padlock that can be locked and unlocked readily in freezing weather has long been recognized; Such a padlock can be opened or closed without diiculty even when coated or encrusted with ice or frost, Without the time delays entailed in applying heat to melt the ice formed within the y padlock and coated on its exterior surfaces. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

The objects of the invention are achieved by a padlock con-struction in which rotation of a key in a barrel by pressure readily applied by human fingers turns only a small cam to engage it in, or disengage it from, a locking position, and movement of other parts of the padlock on which greater leverage can be exercized is utilized to complete opening or closing of the padlock.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is understood that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side view of the preferred form of the padlock of the invention with the critical novel internal parts shown in broken lines; the position of the shackle in the open position is also indicated by broken lines;

Figure 2 represents a view in cross section through the new padlock at right angles to Figure 1, and also shows in dotted lines the position of the shackle relative to the shackle bolt when the shackle is pivoted open;

Figure 3 shows diagrammatically the relative positions of two internal parts of the padlock in the locked position in solid lines and in the unlocked position in dotted lines viewed from the keyhole side of the padlock; and

Figure 4, viewing the padlock from the keyhole side, shows in solid lines the relative position of external parts of the padlock in the closed position, and in broken lines the relative position of the barrel mechanism.

The principal parts of the padlock, shown in both Figures l and 2, are the shackle 1, the shackle bolt 4 with a rigid arm 8 solidly attached thereto and protruding therefrom, the body 9 of the padlock which houses the locking mechanism, and the barrel 15, in which is rotatably mounted a plug to the back of which is rigidly attached a plug cam 14. The plug and plug cam 14 turn when the appropriate key is turned in the barrel.

Referring in particular to Figure 2, the shackle 1 of the padlock is pivotally attached at one end to one end of the -shackle bolt 4, for example by a riveted pin 3 as shown. Near the other end (free end) of the shackle an indent 2 ts around a protrusion, conveniently the protruding edge 10 of the body of the padlock, when the shackle is in the closed position. Referring momentarily lCC to Figure 1, the protruding edge 10 is indented between points 11 and 12 so that when the shackle is positioned between these points, the indent is disengaged from the edge 10 and the shackle is free to pivot back on its hinged end to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. Between points 11 and 10, the protruding edge conveniently is bevelled to facilitate closing of the indent of the shackle onto the protruding edge 10 as shown in Figure 2. Still referring to Figure 2, the shackle bolt 4 passes through the top part of the body of the padlock, and is held in position therein, for example by shoulders 5 on the bolt which retain it between the front and back of the body, the back 18 of the body being fitted into position over the shackle bolt and subsequently secured to the rest of the body, for example by brazing 19. The free end of the shackle bolt, to which the shackle is not attached, has an indent 6 to receive the closing end of the shackle. From the bottom of the indent a drain hole 7 which goes through the bolt can optionally be provided, to preclude accumulation in the indent of moisture which could freeze and bind the shackle in the indent. Solidly fastened to the center part of the shackle bolt is the rigid arm 8 which, when the padlock is locked, rests against the plug cam 14. As shown in Figure l, the cam 14 in the locked position prevents clockwise (forward) rotation of the shackle bolt 4 and attached arm 8. Counterclockwise (backward) rotation of the shackle bolt is prevented conveniently by the shackle abutting against a protrusion 13, which can be a portion of, or attached to, the protrusion 10.

The barrel 15 is located in the lower part of the case,

` key 21 and plug are turned in the barrel 15. As shown in Figure 3, the plug turns clockwise and the cam 14 turns clockwise with it, to the position shown by dotted lines. When cam 14 is in the dotted line position, the arm 8 is free to move from the solid line position to the dotted line position and the shackle bolt 4 to which it is attached can rotate counterclockwise, as shown. When the shackle bolt rotates as shown in Figure 3, the shackle `shown in Figure l, viewing the padlock from the opposite side, moves from the solid line position to the dotted line position. The indent near the free end of the shackle in this position is disengaged from the protruding edge of the body, and the shackle is free to pivot on its hinged end to the dotted line position relative to the shackle bolt, as shown in Figure 2.

When the padlock is to be locked, the shackle 1 is pivoted to bring its free end into the indent 6 in the shackle bolt 4, the shackle bolt and shackle are then turned to engage the indent 2 in the free end of the shackle with the protruding edge 10 of the body of the padlock, then the key 21 is rotated in the barrel 15 to turn the plug cam 14 against the shackle bolt arm 8, thus locking the movable parts in position.

The cover 20 is optionally provided to protect the keyhole on the side of the padlock. The keyhole cover can conveniently be hinged at the top.

Although moisture can penetrate the padlock where the shackle bolt goes through the end walls of the case, and, therefore, in freezing weather, ice can bind the shackle bolt to the case, it has been found that this ice seal can be broken easily by the leverage which can be applied by hand between the case and the combination of the shackle and bolt.

It is also possible for the hinge between the shackle and bolt to freeze, but, similarly, the leverage which can be applied by hand between the shackle and the shackle bolt can break tins seal. In addition, the keyhole cover 20 can freeze to the casing. If finger pressure cannot open the cover, a knife blade or ascrewdriver can easily perform the task without damage to the padlock.

A wet-freezing test was devised to resemble severe weather conditions under which to test the invention. Four padlocks available commercially together with the padlock of this invention were sprayed with water and then subjected to freezing temperatures. The spraying with water and freezing was repeated several times until ice had built up to a thickness of approximately 5/16 inch on their outer surfaces. The padlocks were then placed in a cold chamber for a period of `two hours at a temperature of -30 F.

When the commercial padlocks were tested for ease of opening, a hammer had to be used to open the keyhole cover of one padlock and the shackle could not be opened by hand. In the second lock, pliers had to be used to turn the key and considerable force had to be applied to release `the shackle. In the third lock, the key had to be forced in, and the shackle could not be opened until after the lock had been heated. In the fourth commercial padlock tested, the key had to be heated to melt the ice formed in and around the mechanism of the padlock, and heat had to be applied before the padlock could be opened.

In the padlock of this invention, (l) the weather cover was easily pried open with a sharp instrument; (2) the key was inserted easily; (3) the tumbler mechanism of the padlock operated freely; (4) there was no difficulty breaking the ice seal between the case and the shackle bolt; and (5) there rwas no difliculty in opening the shackle, that is, turning the shackle on its hinge.

Although the padlock of this invention has been designed specically for exposure to freezing weather conditions out-of-doors, the combination of features inherent in the design makes it suitable as a universal use padlock, because it can be used wherever good locking reliability is important, and wherever a lock is desired which can be opened and closed readily by the appropriate key.

What is claimed is:

A padlock comprising a body, a shackle, a shackle bolt held in the upper portion of said body, said shackle bolt being free to rotate through an arc when the padlock is not locked, one end of said shackle being pivotally attached to one end of said shackle bolt, the other end of said shackle bolt containing an indent which encloses the free end of said lshackle when in the closed position, an indent near the free end of said shackle, adjacent protrusions from the upper portion of said body one of which engages said shackle indent when the padlock is in the closed position, the other of which limits backward rotation of the shackle bolt, a rigid arm within said body solidly attached to said shackle bolt and protruding therefrom, a barrel rigidly set in said body, a plug rotatably mounted in said barrel, a cam rigidly attached to the back of said plug, said cam turning when the appropriate key is turned in said barrel, said cam abutting against said rigid arm on 'said shackle bolt to prevent forward rotation of the -shackle bolt when the padlock is in the closed position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 577,246 Grabowski et al. Feb. 16, 1897 1,425,221 Skublin Aug. 8, 1922 1,718,723 Williams June 25, 1929 2,096,568 Snively Oct. 19, 1937 

